HookedOnPlants

When getting hooked is a good thing

Raw

Vegan Turmeric Cheese Log

By

This was a hit as an appy at the last dinner party!

Especially with Eve’s Crackers on the side.

The vegans were all over it, and the surprised words ‘it tastes like cheese’ were heard over and over again from the non-vegans.

Success!

The beauty Holly (who has done some amazing work with Peta over the years) loved it, plus, I was finally able to put the neglected cheese knife to great use.

This version of nut cheese making is the quickest and easiest you will find.

There are longer versions of how to make nut cheeses, some as long as one week of fermenting!

Fermenting the nuts for the cheese will give it more of a tangy, aged cheese taste, but when you’ve got a day to figure out what to bring to impress your pals, this is a great go-to recipe to curb those cheese cravings.

I’d still start it the day before you will be serving it up, just so you get all the soaking time possible.

Just soak and strain the cashews, blend the ingredients, strain in a cheese cloth, let it chill in the fridge & roll shape it up.

The turmeric in this mixture tricks you into believing you’re eating the orange cheddar you used to indulge in.

Get creative with the herbs that make the outer layer. What fresh herbs are hiding in that fridge of yours? Use them!


This is one of the many recipes up on Instagram for the 2nd #VancityVirtualPotluck organized by Piquant Marketing!

Check out my Instagram (@hookedonplants) to see the dishes before and after this yummy cheese (over 80 total)!

Benefits:

–Cashews are packed with minerals and antioxidants. Because of the magnesium and calcium, your nerves and bones will thank you. The copper in these babies will ward of colon cancer and help keep your hair vibrant!

–Turmeric is nature’s anti-inflammatory. All disease starts with inflammation within the body, so warding off inflammation is the key to longevity and health! Eating turmeric with a tiny bit of pepper makes curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) WAY more easily absorbable for your body,

–Nutritional yeast (NOOCH) is a vegan’s best friend when it comes to anything cheezy. Plus it’s packed with B12, all vegans and non-vegans need more of this! B12 is found in microbes in the soil (which is eaten by animals, then humans eat the animals), but the soil is becoming depleted of nutrients and vitamins, so the best way to ensure you’re receiving all the B12 you need is to eat fortified B12 foods (like some plant-based milks), eat nutritional yeast every day, or be safe and take a B12 supplement. But, ‘Nooch’ is the most delicious way to get your B12.

Vegan Turmeric Cheese Log

Serves: 6-8

Time: Actually ‘doing stuff’ time: 10 minutes. Soak and chill time: 7-24 hrs

Ingredients:

Cheeze:

  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight, then strained and rinsed (OR if you’re in a hurry, pour boiling water over your raw cashews and let soak for 1.5 hours)
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • zest of half lemon (zest before cutting and sweezing the lemon)
  • juice of 1 lemon

Outer herbs:

  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh chives, minced

Directions:

  1. Blend all ‘cheeze’ ingredients together until smooth and creamy in your food processor (scrape down sides)
  2. Place mixture into two layers of cheesecloth or a nut milk bag and squeeze into desired shape (you can re-shape after too). Tighten by twisting the mesh cloth.
  3. Leave your ‘cheeze’ in the fridge over a colander (some liquid may drip out) for at least 6 hours (the longer the better!)
  4. Take it out of the cheese cloth and roll it into a log, then coat it with thyme and chives (a bit messy but helps the log keep it’s shape!)
  5. Serve with your favourite crackers, chips, or veggies! I’ve used my friend Eve’s Crackers here!

Hooked On People: Café by Tao + Raw Lemon Blueberry Cake

By

Agathe Mathieu is the chef and owner of the North Vancouver raw, vegan and organic Café by Tao. Just stepping into this café and you are overcome with a feeling of health and well-being. Next time you’re in North Van, definitely give yourself a bit of extra time to pop by their beautiful, new location overlooking Lonsdale Quay. Agathe is raw vegan, she has studied raw food at Living Light Culinary Institute, and has owned Café by Tao for 5 years now.

Agathe and her daughter Chrystelle

Let’s learn more…

What made you adopt a raw vegan lifestyle?

A friend lent me 12 Steps to Raw by Victoria Boutenko and I began eating raw the next day.  I have now been eating 100% raw since August 2003!

What differences have you seen in yourself since going vegan? 

·         after only three months on a raw vegan diet, rheumatoid arthritis disappeared

·         extra weight melted away

·         floaters in my vision vanished

·         my rosacea subsided

·         my energy level soared and I still have a lot of energy today!

 

How did Café by Tao start!?

I started first with selling some items wholesale: kale chips, vegan cheesecakes, veggie burger patties, falafel patties, crackers, etc. One thing lead to another, and in March 2012, I opened Café by Tao.

 

You’ve moved to a beautiful new location in North Van! This must mean Tao is doing well 🙂 Have you noticed people becoming more curious about the vegan lifestyle and the foods you create?

 I have definitely seen more interest in the vegan or plant-based lifestyle now than when I first began eating this way. People are more open to trying new foods and there is more emphasis now on adding more plant-based foods to your diet.

 

How long have you been a raw vegan chef? 

 5 years officially with the opening of the café.  In 2007, I took a 3 week course at Living Light Institute.  Being a single mother of three, I came back and continued the learning in my kitchen.  My children were my teachers really telling me if a dish was fantastic or not ;o) Great critics!

 

What are the 3 (or 5) reasons you tell people to go vegan? 

For our health, for our environment, for the animals, to create a better future for our children and our planet.

 

What would you like people to know about Tao ? What is your mission?

   At Tao one discovers how delicious plant-based diet can be, how easy it is to prepare, feel younger and energized! Our mission at Tao is to provide a healthy option to our community and to encourage people to include more plant-based foods in their diet. Our vision is to teach “ Health and Business Training” to open ones’ own organic plant-based café restaurant in their community. How clever of Mother Earth to put the medicine in our food!

Now onto the food!

Agathe’s Raw Lemon Blueberry Coulis Cake:


This flavourful vegan cake is free of wheat, dairy and refined sugar. It’s also made with nutrient-dense ingredients that would make your mother proud. 
 
All you need is a food processor, a blender, and a 6” spring form pan. 
 

Ingredients:
Crust: 

  • 60 g pecans, soaked and dried 
  • 30 g raisins
  • 10 g dates

Lemon Filling: 

  • 45 g maple syrup 
  • 45 g of chopped dates 
  • 50 g lemon juice 
  • 45 g young coconut meat 
  • 140 g macadamia nuts, soaked 2 hours, rinsed 
  • 3 tbsp (45 g) coconut oil, melted 

Blueberry Coulis:

  • 125 g fresh blueberries (if frozen thaw them first) 
  • 60 g dates, chopped
     

Directions: 

  1. Make crust: In a a food processor, mix ingredients until they form a dense ball you can fit in the palm of your hand. Mold it with your fingers at the bottom of the spring form pan to form the crust
  2. Make lemon filling: Mix maple syrup, chopped dates, lemon juice and coconut meat in your blender until smooth. Before you empty out the blender, add the macadamia nuts and coconut oil and continue blending until smooth 
  3. Pour the lemon filling on top of the crust and refrigerate while you make the blueberry coulis. 
  4. Make blueberry coulis:  Mix dates and blueberries in your blender until creamy.
  5. Pour blueberry coulis on top of lemon filling and freeze for 6 hours, then move to the fridge. 
  6. Enjoy!
     

     

     

     

     

Roasted Sweet Potato Red Pepper Baba Ganoush & Eve’s Crackers

By

Warm and smooth with a kick of flava flave!

I wanted to share a recipe with my friend’s crackers, because honestly, anything goes well with Eve’s Crackers. 

Her crackers are vegan, gluten-free, with no added oil, sugar-free and delish!

She’s just starting out as a foodie-preneur, which I can relate to with my breakfast cereal, Jules Fuel. So happy for her!

She makes them by hand in Whistler, with love. You must try them 🙂

I mean, come on, look at these beauties.

And…this dip.

All the veggies with some spice.

Don’t get me wrong, I love hummus, but sometimes I want an all-veggie dip that has the same texture and satisfaction as your typical hummus. It gets you even more fab nutrients.

We’re sticking with the oil-free, sugar free theme with this dip.

All you have to do is:

Chop

Roast

Blend

Benefits:

  • Eve’s Crackers – a way to indulge in your cracker addiction without any hidden trans-fats, refined sugars, gluten, or oils. They’re held together with flax and chia, so they pack a nutrient-dense punch! Fibre, plant-protein, and omega 3s… hello.
  • Eggplant – are good for your heart because they’re packed with fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and phytonutrients). Plus, they help lower bad (LDL) cholesterol by having chlorogenic acid, one of the most powerful free radical scavengers found in plants. It also works as an antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-carcinogenic agent!
  • Red Pepper – these guys are packed with vitamin C, vitamin E, antioxidants, fibre. Yet, they’re low in calories. Perfect for shedding the pounds, warding off disease (cell protection from free radicals), and your immune system!
  • Sweet potatoes – I’ve talked about these magic spuds so much already because I use them all the time! Head over to this recipe to see the benefits, or this one.

Roasted Sweet Potato Red Pepper Baba Ganoush

& Eve’s Crackers

Serves: 4-8

Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of Eve’s Crackers or crackers of choice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup red onion, quartered
  • 1 red pepper, cored and quartered
  • 1 eggplant, chopped into 1 inch cubes (stem discarded)
  • 2 sweet potatoes, chopped into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 tbsp sambal olek
  • 1 tbsp tamari
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F
  2. Roast veggies: spread sweet potato, eggplant, pepper and onion on parchment covered baking sheet, roast for 30-40 minutes (until potatoes are soft)
  3. Let veggies cool for 5 minutes
  4. Blend roasted veggies, garlic, sambal oelek, tamari and nutritional yeast in your food processor or blender
  5. Scoop it into a bowl and serve along side the deliciousness of Eve’s Cracker’s and raw veggies of your choice!

Cacao RawNola | Raw Vegan

By

Stop what you’re doing. Make this now. Thank me later.

Too demanding? It’s worth it.

This stuff should be illegal, it’s so good. Not to mention it’s simplicity. Raw food for dummies, people!

If you’re new to the raw food world, and this happens to be the first raw recipe you make, you’ll be hooked.

Move over cookie dough… there’s a new guy in town.

This time it’s healthy, and dare I say… tastier.

Sprinkle this on your thick and creamy smoothie bowl or banana ice cream… or you could even top your Jules Fuel with some of this sweetness!

Are mornings allowed to taste this good????

Yes. Yes they are.

This recipe is inspired by Loni Jane (thank you girl!)

Granolas these days… usually they’re packed with oil and refined sugars.

With this RawNola, the nutrients are still in tact without the disturbance of heat, plus there’s no refined sugar, it’s fat-free, vegan (of course), and SO EASY.

Benefits:

  • Dates are one of those ingredients… just too good to be true. They’re naturally sweet, gooey and delicious. Plus, they’re packed with fibre, minerals and vitamins. Yup, nutrient-dense powerhouses that you don’t have to feel guilty about eating, even though they taste so sinful! Want more? They’re packed with iron to help with anemia, they keep you regular, their amino acids help digestion, and their potassium reduces the risk of strokes.
  • Oats are fibre-rich to lower cholesterol and trigger to let your brain know you’re full. The manganese boost will help with anxiety. The antioxidants will combat cardiovascular disease. Oats will also help balance your blood sugar levels. Opt for the gluten-free version if you’re gluten-sensitive.
  • Coconut is packed with heart healthy omega medium-chain saturated fats are used by the body efficiently and transformed into energy. It’s also antibacterial and anti-inflammatory to decrease bacterial overgrowth, and inflammation in the body.

CACAO RAWNOLA 

Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup raw oats (gluten-free if needed)
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 7-10 pitted dates
  • 1 tbsp cacao

Directions:

  1. Add oats, coconut, cacao and 3-4 dates to a food processor or high-speed blender, pulse until dates are evenly mixed
  2. Continue to add the dates until your desired texture is reached. You may need all of them, you may not… this depends on the gooeyness of your dates
  3. Top on your Banana Soft Serve or smoothie bowl, or Jules Fuel, or just pour some Vanilla Date Almond Milk over it in your favourite bowl and call it a day.

Veggies For Dayz Rice Paper Rolls with Tahini Lime Dip

By

Perfect for those days that you have that urge to dive into a plate-full of cleansing, vcggie deliciousness.

This dish is part of the Vancity Virtual Potluck menu!

The #VancityVirtualPotluck includes over 30 delish recipes from amazing Vancouver (/Whistler!) bloggers. The lovely ladies over at Piquant Marketing have brought us all together to form a mega-menu to devour.

I was super excited to start off the appetizer course of the Virtual Potluck, but then, just like a real-life potluck… I went ‘AH, what do I make’?

Then, ‘ahhhhhh yes rainbows are pretty. Let’s make some.’

For the appetizer that comes after these rice paper rolls, head over to Stephanie and Kiana at Karma and Soul for their amazing Roasted Balsamic Beet Hummus recipe (inspired by Melissa at Spread’Em Kitchen)!

The link for the next dish is at the bottom.

Click this photo for the full menu!

Back to these crunchy, nutrient-dense rolls. So simple and SO fresh.

Raw.

Vegan.

Oil-Free.

Gluten-Free.

And this sauce is perfection.

You can create an endless combination of veggies and fruit to stuff into these wraps. Just pack in your favourite colours of the veggie rainbow.

(I get all my favourites from Spud – use CRVAN-MURJUB for 20 buckeroos off!)

These babies are perfect to bring as a colourful appetizer to any shindig you’re going to.

The dipping sauce is also used in the Cucumber Cups canapé recipe. It’s so versatile and can be used as a spread, dip or dressing depending on the amount of water you add.

There’s no doubt that this flavourful, oil-free sauce will become a sought after staple in your abode.

Benefits:

~ Raw produce of any kind are what makes your body thrive. Eating fruits and veggies in their raw form keeps the nutrients in tact, plus gives you the water content and fibre you need for the digestion and assimilation of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients. You’ll get mega-benefits from all the enzymes and phytonutrients in raw goodness. This leaves you with more energy for healing and life! Clearer skin, more energy, less sickness, easier weight-loss, better digestion, and less inflammation are all benefits of eating an abundance of raw fruits and veggies.

~ Tahini is one of the best sources of calcium you can consume. The calcium in sesame seeds (what tahini is made of) is easily absorbed and assimilated by your body to help create strong bones well into your 90s

~ Rice paper wrappers are gluten-free, low-calorie, low-fat and easy to use. They are a great option for creating wraps with because the only ingredients are rice, and water (maybe some salt)!

Veggies for Dayz Rice Paper Rolls with Tahini Lime Dip

Serves: 2-4

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Wraps:

  • 5-8 rice paper wrappers
  • 2 beets, grated
  • 4 carrots, grated
  • 2 mangos, sliced
  • 2 cucumbers, sliced length-wise
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, sliced thinly
  • as many sunflower sprouts as you can fit
  • 1 cup water (for rice paper)

Tahini Lime Ginger Dip:

  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 4 tbsp almond butter
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ginger powder
  • 1/2 cup water

Directions:

  1. Make dipping sauce: add all dip ingredients to mini food processor or blender. Blend until smooth
  2. Roll up the wraps: pour water in a plate. Submerge one rice paper in the water for 20 seconds. Take out and place on breadboard. Fill the wrap with some of each veggie. Fold the ends of the rice paper over the veggies, then roll like a burrito.
  3. Cut in half, and serve with dipping sauce.